Farmers and ranchers in the Northern Great Plains have seen a shift from conventional varieties of some staple crops to Roundup Ready crops — genetically modified to resist the widely-used herbicide, Roundup. Roundup Ready corn, soybeans and canola are already grown in the Northern Great Plains.
Monsanto, which sells Roundup Ready seeds as well as Roundup herbicide, would like to introduce Roundup Ready varieties of wheat, alfalfa and sugar beets, three of the principle crops raised in this region.
The long-term social, environmental, and economic impacts of widespread adoption of this Roundup Ready technology in new crops are unknown, and a cause of concern. Many consumers—especially consumers overseas in major markets for the crops grown in this region—are concerned about the safety of genetically modified foods.
Learn more about genetically modified crops.
Background
What is genetic modification?
Resources
Report finds problems with USDA's oversight of GM crops
The Economics of Pharmaceutical Crops by Dr. Robert Wisner
"We won't Buy GM Wheat" - Our largest foreign markets have stated that they will find new sources for what if the U.S. allows genetically modified what to be grown and sold.
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